A man who tragically died after contracting the coronavirus has posthumously found himself at the center of a mainstream media sneer campaign because he questioned the restrictive lockdown measures in his native Ohio.
Despite thousands of people dying from the illness across the world every day, a range of news outlets have taken it upon themselves to exhaustively report on the case of John W. McDaniel – inspiring a vicious Twitter excoriation in their wake – because he voiced his opposition to the clampdown on personal freedoms that authorities have introduced in a bid to tackle the disease.
This happened in #Ohio. This gentleman was a community leader in #Marion and president of O & M, an industrial machining manufacturer. He chose, as my late father would have undoubtedly noted, to learn the hard way. #COVID19#coronavirus#mondaythoughts#MondayMotivatonpic.twitter.com/2cbsfF5nth
Restrictive lockdown measures have created tensions in many US states by dealing a heavy blow to the American economy and driving unemployment rates to record highs.
McDaniel died at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus in recent days. The 60-year-old was the president of an Ohio-based industrial manufacturing company and he is survived by his wife and children. In the weeks before his death, McDaniel posted criticism of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Facebook for issuing stay-at-home orders.
“If what I’m hearing is true, that DeWine has ordered all bars and restaurants to be closed, I say bulls**t!,” the message read. “It shouldn’t keep those of us from living our lives,” it added.
The sentiments were enough to instigate a mainstream media pile on with numerous US news outlets, the Sun and the Daily Mail, one of the world’s most popular news websites, all publishing derisive articles noting the family man’s comments.
Go foolishly into that good night, John McDanielMan dies from ‘Democrat hoax’ after calling it a ‘political ploy’ https://t.co/Q92nFOBhu7
This media coverage led to the father being the butt of numerous jokes on Twitter with many people making light of his death and also using it as a vehicle to attack US President Donald Trump.
In the current media environment, not even the dead can rest easy.
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